White cutch, otherwise known as Uncaria Gambir, pale catechu, kancu, White catechu and gambier, is a powder derived from the acacia catechu tree. It is found in the Indian sub-continent and other Asian countries with temperate climates such as Indonesia and Malaysia. It is best grown in areas that have good rainfall through the year with altitude of up to 1000 m. This humble plant does not require any soil or fertiliser specifications.
In this article, we shall highlight the characteristic of this unique cutch variant, its many uses and why you should source your requirements from leading white cutch suppliers in India.
Gambier is manufactured and processed in different ways based on whether the end usage is tanning, medicinal purposes, astringent or partaking in the making of paan. The identification of good quality white cutch is that it is poorly soluble in cold water but easily soluble in hot water. Most blocks of gambier contain close to 65% catechin. It is a light weight substance with nearly 1 kg holding about 25,000,000 seeds.
This versatile product is used across a host of industries, regions and requirements. Some of them include:
When it comes to tanning, white cutch usually results in a very soft and fluffy leather product. Contrary to its name, it can be used to make both light and dark hues of tanning. In fact, it even works well when blended with other tanning agents such as wattle & myrobalans. The traditional Indian Batik cloth industry also uses white cutch as a dyeing agent. It also comes in handy to dye silk black or dark colours.
White cutch or gambier is also used widely in preserving fish nets. Hence, there is a lot of demand for gambier in the coastal regions during Catch seasons.
White cutch can be used as a means to clean or purify beer. As beer is made by the fermenting of barley, white cutch’s astringent nature comes of use in the purification process.
Due to its astringent properties, white cutch is also used in ayurvedic medication for sore throats, coughs, respiratory ailments and other medical problems such as diarrhoea and dysentery.
White Cutch is used as a primary ingredient in creating lotions for treating inflamed or irritated gums. It also helps as a useful lotion in case of burns or external wounds.